King of Anything
by B and M
Summary: Michonne meets Ezekiel for the first time. Will his self-bestowed kingship and awesome pet tiger be enough to lure her away from Rick Grimes?
1. Chapter 1

"This was unexpected."

Michonne led the way and braced the stacked boxes with her hands as Rick blindly pushed the handcart across the property to their van, his line of sight obscured by the towering stack of supplies.

"It was," he said as he huffed out a breath from exertion, "but much needed. Inventory is getting low again, Olivia stopped me on the way out this morning."

She couldn't see the look on his face, but the sound in his voice confirmed that the worry had already set in.

"We'll get there," she assured him as she hit the boxes twice to signal their arrival. He carefully lowered the cart to the ground, and they both stood there for a second to make sure the tower of boxes was secure before walking around the side to meet up. "If everyone else can make it work, so can we," she added once she saw his weary face.

"We will," he said with a quick nod. "Let's get this loaded up, so we can get home. Then I just need to fill up our water bottles and hit the restrooms before we head out."

 _Home._ He'd said the magic word, and now that was all she wanted. Their house, the kids, him, their bed. Home.

"You go, I'll take care of it."

"You sure?"

She grinned and nodded certainly, their easy, unspoken teamwork present, as always, in all facets of their relationship. He grinned at her back, as she'd already turned to start loading supplies, then gave her a quick pat on her backside before turning to jog back to the main building. She smiled at the brief touch, something she loved about their still new relationship, and something she'd been missing all day since they'd been all business during their introduction to The Kingdom. She placed the heavy box of fresh vegetables in the back of the van then turned to grab the next. One down, five to go.

"There you are. The mysterious maiden from Alexandria!"

She jumped slightly at the sound of the booming voice, then let her hands slide off of the box in her grasp as she turned to see the self-proclaimed King of...well, The Kingdom approaching. The older, dread-locked man wore a loud print shirt, topped with a plush robe-like jacket, but had luckily left his scepter and pet tiger behind.

"Ezekiel," she greeted with a nod before turning back around to resume packing. He was apparently amused by her because she could hear him chuckling loudly behind her.

"You are not one for many words, are you?"

She turned with the box in hand to find him watching her with a delighted look.

"I keep to myself, mostly." She dropped the box in the back of the van, and reached for the next without looking up. "I'm also just trying to get this loaded so that we can make it home before dark."

"A beautiful woman like you shouldn't be doing work like this."

 _Here we go._ The uncomfortable dance of an unwelcome advance was the last thing she wanted to do, but that's exactly what this had just turned into. She let out an exasperated sigh and rolled her eyes, thankful that her back was to him, then stared into the box of supplies his community had gifted theirs. She certainly didn't want to seem ungrateful, but her feminine attention was not the reward for his kindness. She turned and extended the box out to him with a small grin and watched as he pulled back slightly and pursed his lips instead of taking the box from her.

"Would you like to help?" she asked slowly as she extended the box toward him again. He retreated once more, and clasped his hands then rested them on his belly.

"We have people more suited for this work. I'll summon them for you."

"That's OK." She declined, completely put off by just how far he was taking this entire king act.

Granted, she hadn't watched the news or read a paper in years, but last she knew, there were no monarchies in the United States, and certainly not in rural Virginia. She glanced up at the abandoned high school he called his Kingdom, and laughed to herself, as she placed another box in the van. _Who made you King of Anything?_ she thought. Sure he had walls, free people, and supplies, but there was something about this whole setup that felt more like a man playing dress up than running an actual community.

She continued her task as her admirer looked on, his attention only being pulled away from her as her other half returned.

"Rick! I couldn't let you leave without seeing you off."

"Ah, well, thanks again for everything. And we'll send word about plans through Jesus once we've had a chance to go over things with our people."

"Say no more. I'll expect to hear from our friend, soon."

Rick moved over to Michonne where she stood at the back of the van, shifting the boxes back so they wouldn't slide during the drive.

"Ready whenever you are," he said quietly as he stared at their haul of supplies in the back.

"OK, almost done."

He walked around to the front of the van and opened the driver's side door, hopping in and settling into the seat while he put their freshly filled water bottles in the cupholders in the center console. He glanced up in the rearview mirror to catch a glance at Michonne and check on her progress, but was surprised to find that Ezekiel had sidled up to his girlfriend as soon as he'd left. An amused grin spread on his face, and he slid down into a more comfortable position in his seat, adjusting the mirror as he did so that he could continue to observe.

"It's a shame you're leaving so soon. Promise me that the next time you grace us with your presence, you'll stay for the evening. I think you'd enjoy all we have to offer here."

"Maybe next time," Michonne offered with strained politeness as she shifted her eyes to the ground wishing he would just stop.

"And if I may be so bold, I think that you'd find that we'd quite enjoy each other, as well."

She stubbed the toe of her boot in the dirt as she smarted over his presumption internally.

"And why's that?"

"Just look at us." She crinkled her brow at his response, hoping he wasn't solely referring to their few shared similarities in appearance. "I've never seen a more exquisite beauty in my life, and for us to find each other in this world? It's no accident."

She pressed her lips together, and put her hands on her hips, staring at him for a moment.

"Thank you, Ezekiel," she said evenly, "for the supplies."

"My pleasure," he said in a put-on velvet smooth voice with a broad smile. Undeterred by her disinterest, he reached for her hand and took it in his, guiding it to his mouth to press a kiss on her hand, all the while watching her reaction. "Consider my invitation."

She barely kept her urge to sneer at bay, and pulled her hand away then walked past him to the front of the van. She opened the door, and jumped into her seat, closing it so quickly that Rick had barely registered that she was there. He straightened up in his seat, then pulled his door closed and adjusted the rearview mirror again.

"You ready?" he asked as he glanced back to see Ezekiel still standing behind the van smiling as he faced forward.

"Ready."

"'Cause you can stay if you want," he offered as he glanced over at her, a smirk on his face.

"Asshole," she whispered, shaking her head as she stared ahead.

He started the engine, and they began to drive off toward the main gate. As soon as they left the premises, and she could see the gates closing behind them, she slammed her left fist into his right upper arm.

"Thanks for the help back there."

"I didn't think you needed it," he said in his defense as he switched hands on the steering wheel so that he could use his left hand to rub his bicep.

"No, you were just enjoying the show."

"Little bit," he admitted as he gave up trying to suppress his smile. "I know you can take care of yourself. I've been on the other end of your right hook, and he was about two words away from experiencing that for himself."

"He's so delusional," she groaned as she cupped her hand over her forehead and leaned back into her seat.

"Not completely," Rick countered earning a look from her. "You are exquisite."

"Shut up."

"You are," he said sincerely as he glanced over at her, "but he doesn't even know the half of it. Because you're not only beautiful...you're smarter than anyone I've ever known...strong, tough as all get out," he continued as he did his best to maintain eye contact while looking at the road as infrequently as possible, "...funny as hell. And somehow kinder and more loving than seems possible these days."

He grabbed her hand, mocking King Ezekiel's move, and guided it to his lips to place a kiss on her knuckles, watching her as he did; only her face was soft, and she wore a small smile as she gazed upon him. She didn't pull her hand away; instead, she left it in his and rested their hands on his thigh. She looked out the window as they continued home, and began to recognize landmarks from their earlier reverse commute.

"How far up the road is that gas station we cleared on the way over?"

He glanced down at the odometer and did the math in his head.

"Should be coming up within the next mile or so."

"Good. Let's park when we get there." She stared out of the window a beat longer before looking over to him, a knowing glint of excitement in his eyes.

"I thought you were in a rush to get home before sundown."

"I was…" She trailed off as she began to rub her hand up and down his thigh. "I just wanted to make sure we got some _us_ time, so may as well do it now. Just to be sure."

"Yeah, that's a good idea," he breathed out as his enthusiasm for the idea continued to grow, and his foot applied more pressure to the gas pedal. "Like I said, smartest person I've ever known."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I was really surprised by the response to this, you guys. Thank you! It was meant to be a silly little one shot, but since you asked, I made it into a thing. And I agree with you all, yes, Ezekiel is ridiculous. I studied the GN, used some of his dialogue, and tried to stay close to character, and I kept stopping as I was writing like, this is absolutely crazy! But here it is, part 2 of the adventures of Richonne and Ezekiel. Hope you enjoy. :)**

"I'm happy you decided to come along with us," Michonne said as she looked at the young man perched between her and his father's front seats in the van. "But I'd be even happier if you'd put your seatbelt on."

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah," she shot back as she glanced at his father who was listening to their exchange, but keeping his focus on the road.

"It's not like there's anyone out here to get into an accident with," Carl argued as he motioned toward the windshield and the empty rural road in front of them that went on as far as the eye could see.

"Stranger things have happened...and I can't believe your father isn't backing me," she said as she turned her attention to Rick, side-eyeing him for his continued silence. "Isn't this something you used to pull people over for?"

" _Used_ to," he stressed. "I'll drive safe. It's not often your teenage son voluntarily hangs out with you, so I'm gonna let it slide this time." He grinned, but kept his eyes on the road, being a model driver just as he said he'd be.

"I'm only going to see the tiger," Carl clarified, instantly wounding his father.

Rick glanced at Michonne, and mouthed _ouch_. Teenagers were, indeed, a fickle bunch.

"Whatever it takes, right?" she said with a rueful grin as she reached across to pat his knee.

"Guess so."

"You sure this is real?" Carl pressed. "You really saw it with your own eyes?"

"We did," Rick confirmed.

"And it's not just a big orange house cat?"

"It's a real tiger, Carl," Michonne repeated for what seemed like the thousandth time in the few days since they'd told him about it. "I don't know any other way to say it."

"Is it wild? Does he just keep it in a cage? Or does it just go wherever it wants?" he asked in rapid fire succession, still trying to wrap his brain around the idea of an actual tiger even existing in the world as it stood now.

"I don't know how the tiger spends its days, but I did see him walk around with the thing on a leash like it was a golden retriever or something," Rick offered.

Carl stopped to contemplate that image, which only made their claims seem all the more unlikely to him.

"I'm still not sure I believe you guys."

Rick and Michonne scoffed at him in tandem and turned to look at each other, wordlessly deciding who would call this kid out, with the honor ultimately going to Michonne.

"Have I _ever_ lied to you?"

"No," he said glumly, "but I wouldn't put it past you to mess with me…" Michonne just looked at him and shook her head. He'd know the truth soon enough. "But if this is for real, you think he'd let me pet it?"

"Probably...in fact, if Michonne asks, I'm almost positive he would," Rick added with a smirk.

"Stop."

"What does that mean?" Carl inquired, looking back and forth between them from his spot between their seats.

"It means _nothing_ ," she assured him before looking at his father. "Can we not?"

"Sure," he said as he bit down on his lower lip to mask his smirk.

"This is why I don't hang out with you guys anymore," Carl said, rolling his eyes as he dropped back into his seat and fastened his seatbelt.

xxx

"Holy Shit."

Carl was, once again, leaning between his father and Michonne's seats with an elbow on each headrest, watching in awe as they drove down the dirt path that led to the former high school campus that was now The Kingdom. Just as they'd told him, the Kingdom's eccentric leader stood on the top step of the building waving them in with his very real pet tiger standing by his side.

Rick parked the van a few yards short of the building, and turn off the engine. The rest of the group piled out of the van and came to a stop at the bottom step, unsure about proceeding any further, and unable to take their eyes off of the man and his pet. Rick and Michonne came around from behind the group, and moved up to the front, flanking them on each side.

"Behold!" the self-proclaimed king announced as he raised arm in the air dramatically. "It seems a mere few days ago Rick Grimes departed from my Kingdom and sent word that he would return with his most able bodied soldiers to train my people, and here he stands as promised. A man of his word. Welcome my new friends!"

He began to walk down the steps with Shiva in tow, stopping briefly to shake Rick's hand first before making a beeline to Michonne.

"As welcome a sight as my new friends are," he said, addressing the rest of the group as he reached for Michonne's hand, "you must forgive me for singling out one special friend. Lady Michonne," he said with smile, staring into her eyes as he kissed her hand, "it is an honor to have the fairest maiden in all of the land grace me with her presence again."

Carl quirked his head to the side at Ezekiel's very familiar greeting, while the rest of the group exchanged curious glances with each other, as they braced themselves for a reaction from either Rick or Michonne.

"Ezekiel, that's not necessary," Michonne said, embarrassed by his grand display in front of her friends and family. She drew her hand from his and ventured a look at her group, all of whom were staring just as she figured they would be.

"But it is. As I promised you last time, if you returned, there would be a feast worthy of your honor, and I never disappoint," he said smiling, undeterred and unaware of the curious eyes on him.

"Thank you." She looked down and took a few steps back to create distance between them then cleared her throat. "Let me introduce you to our group. This is Aaron, Rosita, Heath, and Rick's son, Carl," she finished as she put her hand on his shoulder.

"Welcome again," he said with a quick bow of his head. "Now please, make yourselves at home. You have had a long journey. Rest, clean up if you'd like, and then join us in the dining hall at six o'clock sharp for the start of the festivities."

Rosita, Heath, and Aaron looked at each other, and Rick gave them the go ahead with a nod. They started off for the living quarters Ezekiel had directed them to, and Michonne and Rick began to follow before Ezekiel caught his arm.

"Rick, if you don't mind coming with me for a short meeting to catch up."

"Of course," he said, waving Michonne off since she had stopped to wait for him.

She looked past him as she began to leave then nodded, which caused Rick and Ezekiel to turn, as well to find Carl standing frozen in place. Shiva had laid down in front of him, her belly resting on his toes, and her striped tail brushing against the backs of his legs as it lazily swayed back and forth.

"Is something wrong?" Ezekiel asked upon seeing the young man's uneasy face.

"Oh, um, I was just…" he stammered, as he tried to ignore the very real tiger at his feet.

"He's been wondering if he could pet Shiva," Rick volunteered.

"Of course!" Ezekiel exclaimed with a laugh. "In fact, why don't you take her for a walk? We were just about to run the perimeter before you arrived."

"Sure, I...yes."

Ezekiel handed him the leash, then began to walk away with his father, leaving Carl to sweat as he tried to figure out how to handle this very large cat. But before he could move, he heard laughter as the men turned and made their way back to him. Ezekiel put his hand out for the leash, then raised the other, and the tiger instantly stood at his command.

"You didn't really think I'd do that to you, did you?" he asked with a boisterous laugh. "Wait here for me, and when I'm done with your father, we'll go together."

"Sure. OK," Carl answered, confused and relieved, as he wiggled his now free toes in his boots and watched them walk away again.

xxx

"Oh God...Rick..."

Michonne turned her head and pressed her face into the arm that was stretched over her head and grabbing the bars of the metal frame bed behind her as Rick's thrusts became faster and deeper, bringing her closer and closer to the edge. With a couple of hours before dinner, and absolutely nothing else that required their attention, they knew just how they wanted to pass the time.

"Mmm, Lady Michonne," he breathed into her ear as he leaned in closer.

Her eyes to flew open and she turned her head to look at him, finding him grinning back at her.

"Do _not_ ruin this," she chided in a harsh whisper as she brought her arm down and swatted his bare ass. He apologized by kissing the angry crease between her brows and falling right back into rhythm with her. Just as she began to get it back, there was a knock at the door.

"Keep going," she whispered as she wrapped her arms around his back, physically barring him from moving.

After a few moments of silence, there was another knock at the door, this time followed by a man's voice. "Lady Michonne?"

Michonne's head dropped back against the pillow in frustration as Rick came to a complete stop and looked down at her, quietly laughing at the situation.

"Fuck you. You jinxed us," she hissed. She kept her arms around him and gave him a look that told him not to move or make a sound. He bit his lip and held himself up on his elbows, on hold as they waited for their visitor to leave.

"I know you're in there," the man continued through the door. "Shiva has a very keen sense of smell. She knows."

"God damn it," she cursed under her breath.

Even Rick's good humor was starting to fade as he groaned, annoyed with the interruption. Her arms dropped from his back, and she began to roll out from under him and out of bed to collect their clothes from the ground. She tossed his jeans and shirt onto the bed, and he began to slip them on as he sat on the edge watching her while she hopped on one foot, pulling on her skinny jeans one leg at a time then reached around him to search for her bra and tank in the tangled up blanket.

"Lady Michonne?" he bellowed. "Are you alright?"

"Yes," she answered finally with strained politeness. "Just one minute."

She hooked her bra and pulled her tank over her head, checking to make sure it wasn't inside out or askew as she walked to the door. She placed her hand on the knob, and looked back to check on Rick. He was all dressed, had straightened the blanket and pillows, and now sat in the chair at the desk in the room.

"Yes?" she said, still slightly breathless, as she opened the door.

"Hello." He greeted her with a huge smile that wavered slightly when he looked over her shoulder to see that she had company. "Oh, hello Rick. Am I interrupting something?"

"No, not at all. We were just taking advantage of the downtime to go over training schedules for tomorrow." He picked up some random papers that were scattered on the desk and held them up to support his lie.

"Ah, wonderful!"

The man who was rarely at a loss for words fell silent for a moment then returned his attention to Michonne, and gave her an awkward smile.

"Well...I just wanted to stop by...to see how you're finding your accommodations."

She looked around the classroom that had been divided and converted into separate sleeping spaces. She hadn't given much thought to the sparsely decorated room. She supposed it was better than most places she'd stayed in since the turn, but it was nothing compared to her home.

"Um, nice," she said hesitantly before committing to an answer. "Fine."

"Wonderful...wonderful."

He stared at her for another awkward moment, causing her to wonder why he was so persistent in finding her if this was all he had to say. He glanced at Rick again, who was casually observing them from his seat, then back at Michonne.

"Well, I just wanted to check in on you. I'll see you in an hour. There will be a spot at the head table reserved for you...and you," he added as an afterthought as he glanced at Rick.

"We'll see you then," Michonne confirmed, glancing down at the tiger what was staring up at her, before he nodded and turned to head down the hall. It was all so surreal, even for this world.

She closed the door and fell back against it, rubbing her hand over her forehead and taking a deep breath before pulling herself up and walking across the room towards Rick.

"Look, I get why we don't widely advertise our relationship outside of Alexandria, and I know that we're probably getting some kind of special treatment from him because he's got a crush on me, but I can't keep this up. He's driving me crazy."

"So just tell him you're not interested," he suggested with a shrug as he looked up at her from his chair.

She had the strong urge to shake his handsome little self for that comment. _Yes, it's just that simple, my dear._

"I doubt that's going to deter him," she explained instead. "He hasn't picked up on my lack of interest yet...and if he thinks I'm single, he'll think he still has a chance. I know his type. Believe me."

"Well for diplomacy's sake, let's see what happens if you try letting him down easy without bringing us into it just yet. We're still feeling him out, and I don't want to give him more information that he needs right now."

She put her hands on her hips and looked to the ground, shaking her head at the ridiculous and completely unwanted situation she found herself in. She was never one to tiptoe around an issue, so this approach felt off.

"I'll try it," she agreed begrudgingly, "but if it doesn't work, you better claim me as your woman tonight."

Rick blinked and shook his head, questioning if he'd really just heard her, his strong and independent Michonne, actually utter those words. She must have been thinking the same thing, because she drew back the finger she had pointed in his face and brought that hand up to cover her mouth.

"What did you just say?" he asked, his eyes as wide as hers.

"Oh my God." She dropped her hand from her mouth, still thrown by her choice of words. "It's this place..it's so medieval and it's getting to me." She took a deep breath to compose herself, and tried again. "What I'm saying is, just be my partner and help me handle this. _Tonight_."

"I will," he promised.

"Thank you."

She nodded as she looked down at him, feeling more like herself, and more comfortable with handling the headache that was Ezekiel. That is, until she saw an unsettling little smirk begin to form on her boyfriend's face.

"Now come here, woman," he commanded in that low southern drawl of his as he hooked his arm around her waist and pulled her down toward him.

"No!" She protested as she landed in his lap. She placed her hands on his chest and pulled back so that she could look him in the eye. "Don't you dare," she warned.


	3. Chapter 3

Michonne, Rick, and Carl, in that order, walked single-file through the long rows of tables set up end to end in the dining hall that was beginning to fill with community members. As they kept moving toward the single table with a floral arrangement in the front of the room, Michonne would occasionally feel Rick's fingers graze the small of her back to stay close to her as they maneuvered through the crowd to reach their seats.

They were the first to arrive, and just as Ezekiel had mentioned, their places were reserved with name cards which was something Rick had only ever seen at wedding receptions. Michonne immediately found her name, just to the left of Ezekiel's place setting, and took her seat while Carl walked around the table looking for his name, finding it across the table from her and just to Ezekiel's right.

Rick, on the other hand, didn't even give a second thought to the place settings, and claimed the space next to Michonne for himself. He reached for the pitcher of water in the middle of the table, and filled Michonne's glass before reaching for his son's.

"Dad, your spot's over here. Next to me," Carl informed him as he took the glass in his hand while nodding at the empty space beside him.

Just as Rick began to wave his hand to dismiss the seat assignments, the "king" himself graced them with his presence.

"I was hoping to have beat you here! My apologies!" He bowed his head in deference to Michonne and took his seat at the head of the table. "When Shiva dines before we do, dinner is always more pleasant," he jested as she took her place on the ground between him and Michonne.

He surveyed the the table as he settled in, and noticed Rick sitting next to Michonne which caused him to squint his eyes to try to read the place card in front of him as something seemed amiss with the directions he'd given his staff. The brief moment of perplexion passed, and he smiled as he realized the error.

"Surely you've noticed the place cards around the table," he said warmly as he pointed specifically to the one in front of Rick. "They're meant to guide you to where you need to be. We want you to leave everything to us this evening. No thinking, just celebrating."

Rick smarted to himself over being called out, tactfully as it may have been, and picked up the card in front of him. He could feel his son's eyes on him, waiting to see what he was going to say.

"Huh," Rick huffed as he scratched his beard with his free hand. "Would you look at that? Well, I'm sure Aaron won't mind, he's good like that."

He reached across the table and and placed Aaron's card in front of the empty place setting beside Carl. Only then did he allow himself to look up to find a small smirk on Carl's lips as he passed his father the card that belonged to him.

"Very well," Ezekiel relented. He was about to lean back in his chair, but perked up once he saw the rest of their group approaching. "Welcome! Please have a seat in the place we've marked especially for you."

Rick could swear he heard a slight edge in the king's voice likely meant for him. He watched Heath, Rosita, and Aaron look for their places at the table, and almost as if on cue, the most congenial survivor in the world unwittingly backed up his leader. Once Aaron spotted his place next to Carl, his face lit up with genuine happiness at his seating assignment.

"Hey neighbor!" He greeted the boy with a hand on the shoulder as he pulled out his chair and sat down next to him.

Rick looked to Ezekiel, and shrugged. _Did he know his people or what?_ Ezekiel gave him a tepid smile in return then pushed his chair away from the table and stood up to address the full dining room now that the last of his special guests had arrived.

"Everyone, please dine! Enjoy the boar we've slaughtered in honor of our new friends! Eat and be merry for we know not what tomorrow brings!"

With the king's pronouncement, the dining room erupted into a flurry of activity again as the members lined up at the buffet tables set up on each side of the room. While the others waited to fix their plates, the table of honored guests stayed seated as the kitchen help delivered plated meals to them. Each plate was piled high with succulent pink meat, fresh vegetables from the garden, and a serving of mashed potatoes.

As Michonne's plate sat in front of her while she waited for the others to be served, she noticed out of the corner of her eye that Shiva was now on her haunches, head turned her way, and long whiskers twitching as her nose sniffed in the smell of the hot food on her plate. She went still once she noticed she was being watched and looked up nervously at Ezekiel since his pet was far more ominous than your average puppy begging for scraps under the table.

"I thought you said she ate already…"

Ezekiel laughed at her dry delivery, and snapped at Shiva causing her to lie back down on the ground, though her eyes were still trained on Michonne. Once Rosita received her food, the group wasted no time digging into the veritable feast before them. Ezekiel watched expectantly for Michonne's reaction as she sliced into the meat, and brought the first bite to her mouth. As a smile began to form on her lips while she chewed, he started smiling as well, hoping to catch her eye once she looked up, but she turned toward Rick instead, and he watched as they exchanged a quick glance and grin between the two of them.

"So how did you become a king?"

Michonne's small moment of bliss was interrupted by the question Carl had hurled at their host from across the table. Her eyes immediately went to him, and she began to cough as the piece of meat she had swallowed got caught in her throat as it made its way down. Rick instinctively looked at her with concern and handed her his glass of water while he patted her back. She took a sip and washed it down, then held up a hand to reassure everyone that she was OK. Carl had addressed the elephant in the room, but since he was at the cusp of adulthood, and she worried that he had passed the age where he could get away asking such questions.

Rick let his hand fall from her back to the back of her chair while he looked from his son to their host who thankfully had an amused grin on his face.

"How did I become a king?" he repeated as he rested his forearms on the table and leaned toward Carl. "Hasn't your father ever told you that you can be anything you want to be? Just because they took the world from us doesn't mean that's not still true. In fact, it's more true than it ever was. You could be Prince of Alexandria," he proposed before looking up to address the rest of the table. "Your dad could be King! Lady Michonne could be a Queen," he said pointedly as he looked directly at her and placed his hand over his heart.

"Dude," Heath muttered under his breath at the bold gesture.

Heath had learned early on not to mess with Michonne, especially not when it came to Rick, and he was floored by the king's audacity. In fact, the entire table was awkwardly quiet as they watched the interaction before them because it was clear that he wasn't talking about Michonne becoming the Queen of Alexandria. On top of that, the fact that they were adults talking about being kings and queens was still outlandish despite Ezekiel's explanation.

Michonne blinked a few times before looking down at her plate to break the awkward eye contact he was making with her then resumed eating while the others followed suit, unsure of what exactly to say if Rick and Michonne weren't saying anything. Unfazed, Ezekiel looked up to find the nearest server and called her over to their table.

"Martha! What do we have in the way of libations this evening?"

"The last of the chardonnay and the cask aged black ale," she replied promptly.

"Excellent choices. The lady will have the wine," he decided as he gestured toward Michonne, "and I'll have an ale."

Rick could feel the heel of her boot dig into the toe of his boot under the table. He knew her well enough to know that she would not like that misguided attempt at chivalry at all, but she was intent on making it crystal clear to him...and sharing her discomfort.

"Ezekiel," she chided, her calm exterior covering the strong reaction she was having under the table. He brushed off her protestation and carried on.

"The rest of you, please order what you'd like!"

"What happened to doing and being whatever you wanted?" she challenged.

He looked at her and knitted his brow in confusion. "Well, I thought the wine was better suited for you. Would you like the ale instead?"

"I'd like to order for myself."

He was taken aback by her direct statement. Though she was still calm, he was finally beginning to sense that he may have offended her.

"Be my guest," he offered with a flourish of his hand. "Martha, the lady will place her own order."

Michonne sighed and shook her head. _He still didn't get it_. His incessant use of the word _lady_ was enough to drive her to drink, so it was a good thing there was one coming her way.

"I'll have an ale, please," she requested as Martha appeared in front of her.

"Yes, my lady," she said with a quick curtsey. Michonne sighed again and considered calling her back, and asking her to make that two.

"Rick, since you've finished up," Ezekiel said noting his empty plate, "let me take you around to meet a few of our most important members while they fetch our drinks. Once we get back, we can move our party to the garden for the evening," he promised the rest of the group as he stood from his chair.

Rick nodded then wiggled the toes in his left boot to remind Michonne that she'd need to release the hold she still had on his foot so that he could move. She slid her foot back to the floor, and he reached under the table quickly to squeeze her knee before he got up to join Ezekiel.

The two men started at the front and made their rounds through the dozens of tables, sometimes just saying hello, and sometimes stopping to talk to community leaders like the doctor, weapons trainer, or construction manager. Once they found themselves at the back of the room, Ezekiel turned to head back to their table before Rick stopped him.

"Can we have a word before we join the others?"

"Of course."

Ezekiel led them out of the nearest door and around the corner to a second floor balcony centered in front of a lush greenhouse that overlooked the community.

"I was planning on showing this place off a little later, but now's a fine time, as well." He leaned against the wall and opened his arms toward the garden in front of him. "This is my favorite spot in the kingdom. It was originally a greenhouse for a botany class, but we turned it into a garden worthy of our splendor."

 _Worthy of our splendor_...Rick huffed out a laugh. It was a fine garden, something he'd like to have in Alexandria some day, but he'd had enough of the hyperbole, and it was time to get down to business.

"That was a cute answer you gave my son, but if we're going to forge an alliance, I need to know that I can trust you. What's with the king act?"

The king looked Rick in the eye for a beat before nodding his head at the request. His puffed chest deflated a bit, and the hands that always seemed to be gesturing grandly at something or other as he spoke now stayed still at his sides.

"I was a zookeeper before this all started, that's how I ended up with Shiva…" he started, his voice lacking the bombast of his typical speech, "but when people saw a man with a tiger, they saw someone they thought was larger than life and, as such, the stories started. Things like me finding her in the wild, wrestling her into submission and making her my pet...I didn't want to burst their bubble, and I wanted to keep that reputation to protect myself from anyone who otherwise may try to harm me. Before I knew it, they started treating me like a king, so how could I not act the part?"

Rick nodded as he continued to quietly listen to the man's story.

"I'm not sure how it's been for you," Ezekiel continued, "but I wasn't a leader before this all began. Being a king gave me a role to play, something to fall back on as I learned my way, and it just stuck. How did your people come to trust you as a leader?"

"I was a sheriff, so I guess that was enough for them," Rick admitted to his fellow leader-by-circumstance.

"See?" Ezekiel chuckled at his response. "People want someone to follow. Someone who makes them feel safe be it a king or a sheriff. Some people see right through it, but most are happy to fall in line," he finished with a shrug. "I suppose the number one rule of bullshitting, though, is knowing not to bullshit a bullshitter…"

Rick crinkled his face in confusion at the accusation.

"I'm not," he defended. "I've been upfront with you."

"I've seen how you interact with Michonne, and she with you," Ezekiel said with a wry smile as he took a step closer to Rick to level with him. "Is she off limits or just playing hard to get?"

Rick bit down on his lip, taking a moment to figure out how he wanted to play this. He knew what the woman in question would want him to say, and with his newfound respect for Ezekiel, he decided it was OK to drop his act, as well.

"She's not available. Michonne is my…" Rick sighed and rubbed his forehead as he searched for the right word to describe who she was to him.

"Your queen?" Ezekiel offered.

Rick chuckled at the suggestion. She was no doubt deserving of a such a title, but he doubted she'd ever want it, though he'd gladly give it to her if she did. Instead, his mind drifted back to the conversation they'd had before dinner where she'd told him who she wanted him to be to her, and what he was grateful to have in her.

"She's my partner," he answered simply. "At home and in battle."

"Well, I apologize. I meant no disrespect."

"And neither did we," Rick assured him. "Given our run-ins with so many of the people and groups we've come across, I'm sure you can understand why I'm not forthcoming with something as important as that."

"I certainly can," Ezekiel said, still refreshingly without pretense as they talked man to man. "Any tips on how to save face once we head back in there?"

Rick began to chuckle along with Ezekiel. "Just extend her the same respect you do to me, and it'll all be fine."

"I can do that," he promised as he reached out to shake Rick's hand.

xxxx

Michonne sat in her chair stiffly in her chair as she stroked the top of the tiger's head that was nuzzled into her lap. Though she was growing more comfortable with each passing minute and sip of ale, she remained cautious and vigilant.

As soon as her master left, the big cat wandered over to the woman she'd been eyeing all night and made her presence known by sidling up to her. Perhaps it wasn't Michonne's food she wanted after all, but rather just her attention. She'd wondered if the tiger could sense that she was a cat person in her former life. Either way, her friends stared at her and her new friend in awe.

"Can we take her home?" Carl asked.

"I don't think she's up for the taking," Rosita pointed out having witnessed Ezekiel's attachment to his pet.

"If she was, could we?" The boy tried again.

"You'd have to ask your dad," Michonne responded with one of her favorite new excuses.

"And he'd tell me to ask you," Carl shot back, clearly onto her game.

"He would," Heath agreed. Even the typically blase man was enamored with the animal.

"Seriously, you think he'll notice if we take her home with us?"

Michonne clicked her tongue, and gave her incorrigible teenager a look across the table.

"Uh, yeah," Rosita retorted simultaneously, backing her girl up.

"But we really should consider getting a community pet," Aaron suggested. "Eric and I always wanted to adopt a dog."

"Ugh, I miss my dog," Rosita lamented. A pout formed on her lips as she thought of her black miniature poodle.

"Me, too," Carl agreed, thinking of Buddy, the black and white hound mix he'd gotten for his fifth birthday.

Sensing the mood at the table, and knowing how much she enjoyed having this "pet" for the last few minutes, she offered a compromise.

"Look, If we find a dog, we can talk about it. Until then, maybe we start small? Have Daryl catch us a squirrel or something. Name him Alex..."

She couldn't get that last part out without breaking into a laugh, and it didn't take long for the others to join in as they pictured the possibility of Alex the Alexandrian Squirrel.

"I see the libations have arrived and are doing their job," Ezekiel announced as he and Rick walked up to the table having just missed the joke. "And I see somebody found a new friend," he said as he took his seat next to Michonne.

"We were just talking about getting our own pet," Carl volunteered.

Rick gave his son an unenthusiastic look as he remembered what terrible help he was when it came to walking and feeding Buddy. A pet was truly the last thing he needed these days. Then he looked over at his other half, contentedly taking a sip of her drink while she continued to stroke the tiger's head, and he realized that if she asked, he would probably fold instantly.

Sensing Rick's hesitation, Ezekiel chimed in to help him out. "Well, if it doesn't work out, just know you're always welcome to visit here. Shiva and I love the company."

The rest of the table, finally feeling a bit more relaxed in their host's presence, began to grill him on the nuts and bolts of taking care of a tiger. Rick's attention was elsewhere, however, catching Michonne's eye as she put her drink down on the table.

"How's the ale?" he asked as he reached over and took her hand in his.

She looked down at their intertwined hands, resting on the tabletop between them, then arched an eyebrow at his public display of affection. He grasped her hand a little tighter then brought it to his mouth and pressed his lips to her knuckles, answering any questions she may have had.

"It's good. Just what I wanted," she answered with a smile.

The End

 **Thank you all for reading! Have a great summer!**


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